FRC Responds to Release of First Ever GAO Report on Federal Funding for Abortion Advocates

Urges Congress to Move Taxpayer Funding Away from Abortion Industry

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This morning at a Capitol Hill news conference, Family Research Council joined members of Congress including Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) as well as other pro-life leaders to discuss the Government Accountability Office's first ever report on federal funding for abortion advocates. The report was requested by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) and other key members of Congress.

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The report revealed that six organizations connected to the abortion agenda received over a billion dollars in federal funds between 2002 and 2009. The six organizations are Planned Parenthood Federation of America, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Population Council of the United States, Guttmacher Institute, Advocates for Youth and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

Family Research Council Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment Ken Blackwell made the following comments:

"Giving taxpayer money to organizations that promote and provide abortion, even if the money is not used for that purpose, frees up other funds for abortion purposes and gives the government's stamp of approval to their abortion related activities.

"By funding Planned Parenthood and their allies, we are unwittingly supporting an abortion organization and everything they do. When taxpayer money goes to abortion groups for any reason, it supports the work of the abortion industry. We should not let abortion companies benefit financially from taxpayer funds.

"We urge Congress to bring an end to funding for abortion providers by enacting the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. We applaud Congressman Mike Pence for introducing this commonsense bill which would simply ensure that funds go to organizations that are not in the abortion business."

SOURCE Family Research Council